Obituary of Janis Elsie Chapman Prange

Janis was received into the fullness of eternal Peace with God the evening of February 1. Janis was born to Ruth (Lyon) and William G. Chapman on February 10, 1941, at Fort Snelling, MN. She was baptized at Our Saviour Lutheran Church, St. Paul, MN, and lived her first years in or near a variety of U.S. Army posts . . . wherever her father was assigned. While her father was deployed to the European theater during WWII, she and her mother resided in Grey Eagle, MN, near "Grandma Elsie's" farm. There she learned the life of a small farmer and was the "sweetheart" of her uncles and older cousins. In 1946 the William Chapman family moved to the area of Castle AFB, CA, then to the Fort Worth, TX, region and finally back to the Merced, CA, area where she grew into a young adult with many interests including playing the clarinet and being a drum majorette for the Merced High School band, being active in student government, and owning and riding horses. In 1958, she was runner-up for the title of Miss Merced. In 1959, Janis enrolled at California Concordia College in Oakland, CA. There she met the love of her life, Anton Prange. In 1963, she graduated from Concordia College, River Forest, IL, and accepted a position as second grade teacher at Zion Lutheran Church, St. Louis, MO. She and Anton, then a student at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO, were married in August of 1964 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Monterey, CA. Janis accompanied her husband for his internship in Milwaukee, WI, and taught third and fourth grades at Nazareth Lutheran Church, Milwaukee, WI. After one more year at Zion Lutheran Church, Janis moved to New Orleans, LA, where Anton served as pastor of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church beginning in June, 1967. There she gave birth to Paul, Eric (deceased), and Ruth. Anton accepted the position of pastor at St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Lake Charles, LA, in January of 1970. There she was an active mother and volunteer both in the church and in the community. She was especially proud of her work with League of Women Voters at the local and state level. In June of 1976, Janis and family moved to Monterey, CA, and then to their new home in Del Rey Oaks in April of 1977. Janis soon returned to teaching, first as a substitute and then as a part time ESL instructor for Monterey Peninsula Unified School District. She attended San Jose State University to qualify for her California Teachers Credential and later taught kindergarten at Ord Terrace School (Seaside) and second grade at Marina Vista School (Marina). She loved her time with the children and especially the relationships she established with second language learners and their families. In 2001 she retired after more than 20 years with MPUSD. Janis played clarinet for the Monterey Community Band and was a leader with the Del Rey Oaks Action Group. In January, 1999, Janis was diagnosed with stage 3C ovarian cancer. After several surgeries and multiple courses of chemotherapy, she lived many full years in remission. She went on to volunteer as a "patient navigator" and a driver for the Cancer Center at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula. She and Anton enjoyed regular trips both within the 50 states and globally. Many of the best times of her later years came from being with her beloved grandchildren, Matthew and Erin Trotter (Carmel) and David and Luke Prange (San Jose). Nothing was better than sitting and reading to a grandchild or all four. Janis was always refreshed by a trip to the beach or Point Lobos; the sights and sounds of the ocean were precious to her. In November, 2014, Janis signed herself into hospice care. Her last months were lived with the constant presence of her husband, her children, her grandchildren, her sister Sherry Chapman and niece Ashley. Many friends also supported her throughout her cancer journey. The family offers a word of thanks to Dr. John Hausdorff (Janis' oncologist for 16 years) and the nurses and aides of Hospice of the Central Coast. Janis leaves behind her husband, Anton, son Paul and his wife Janis, daughter Ruth and her husband Thom Trotter, four grandchildren, and her sister Sherry and her husband John Goral. She was a member of Faith Lutheran Church where her husband served as pastor. She also enjoyed worshiping with the faith communities at Bethlehem Lutheran Church and St. Philip's Lutheran Church. There will be a Memorial Service at Bethlehem Lutheran Church , 800 Cass St. Monterey, on Sunday, February 15, at 2:00 P.M., followed by a reception in the church Ministry Center. In lieu of flowers, charitable contributions may be made to Bread for the World, 425 3rd St. SW, Suite 1200, Washington, DC 20024, California State Park Foundation, 50 Francisco St., Suite 110, San Francisco, CA 94133, or a favorite charity.